Semana Santa 06: Insights

May 17th, 2006

It was a good thing that I’ve decided to cover the Holy Week activities in Lucban, Quezon and surrounding areas. I wasn’t expecting much in the first place but the experience as well as the many, many new things that I’ve learned and witnessed was really priceless. It also provided me with ideas of projects that I can embark on in the future.

The activity would have never been accomplished, or should I say, never had become what it is if not for the very important contact I had: Jayson Maceo, a young man who’s knowledge of the religious aspects and practices as well as his love and devotion to the Catholic faith was very instrumental in realizing this documentary. It also helped that his family is taking care of the image of the Santo Senor Sepulcro, the main figure of the Lenten season. Through him, I was able to learn many important things, the practices, the rituals, the history as well as trivial notes and stories that made my Lucban experience rich. In gratitude, I’ve gifted him and his family high quality printouts, 65 images in all, that I’ve captured during my stay there. This is the least I can do. The openness that was given to me as well as the invaluable assistance provided will forever be cherished.

Holy Week is one of the most important religious activities that Filipino Catholics hold dear. I’ve always taken for granted this particular event. Whereas I’ve always enjoyed this as it only means an end to school days and thus vacation, I remember vividly that its also a time wherein no meat starting Ash Wednesday and every Friday (until Good Friday) is eaten. On Good Friday, my family would not even be using pork lard for cooking and the food is limited to stewed fish (in vinegar, that is, that I just don’t like) and mung bean soup. For merienda (afternoon snacks), we have binignit, a local snack that is delicious and sweet whose ingredients include slivers of jackfruit, ripe saba bananas, camote (sweet potato), gabi (don’t know the English term but it’s a root crop that also thickens the soup; I especially like the purple variety), landang and different colored sago à pearl like in form (jelly like products derived from the buli palm) boiled in a sweet and slightly thickened soup. This has always been a treat for us.

We also joined the Good Friday procession in my hometown. Before the carrozas were big and the images lifesized. The last time I was there, around 5 years ago, I was just shocked to see that the images had gotten smaller and badly carved while some carrozas disappeared and was replaced with decorated jeeps where the image was mounted! These changes came as my hometown also saw its transformation from a lively town into the newest city in the province of Cebu. Over the years, I also saw my transformation: from a deeply religious person to one who now don’t care about religion or faith. But I should clarify that the different old structures that are the Spanish era churches as well as the different religious rituals and festivities always fascinates me. This may also be the reason that it has a special place in my photography. Maybe, this is a way for my supposed religiousness, though suppressed (?), is finding an outlet?

Documenting the Holy Week rituals in Lucban was an opportunity to cover first hand the innate religiousity of Filipinos. Just like in the frenzied Black Nazarene festivities in Quiapo or the rather tame Sto. Niño fiesta in Cebu, it was also an opportunity to observe firsthand the religious fervor that Filipinos has accepted, lived and transformed the rather foreign god into their own and molded it into something uniquely theirs that was imposed on them when the Spanish missionaries and conquistadores came into these islands almost five centuries ago. It was also an opportunity to celebrate my own culture, my being Filipino, as well as to look back and examine myself of my transformations: before and now. What will I become in the future? Will I eventually find my God?

Tags: heritage, quezon, semana santa

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One Response to “Semana Santa 06: Insights”

esmy Says:

July 24th, 2006 at 5:27AM
how about san pablo city laguna naman?

Rough Groove